Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are granted. However, the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and remanded the claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a generalized arthritis condition is denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of an ulnar nerve injury is denied as there is no evidence of current disability or functional impairment due to such injuries.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the disability was not shown during active service and within one year after separation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability that meets VA compensation criteria.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, but the rating assigned was noncompensable. The Board also remanded several issues including hypertension and CFS.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding hypertension, left head injury and traumatic brain injury, left lower temporal scar, and left ear hearing loss as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary due to evidence of potentially worsening hearing loss symptoms, and the case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability under VA criteria.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the condition being presumed to have started during active duty.,An initial rating in excess of 40 percent for fibromyalgia is denied. The Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.,The effective date for TDIU prior to July 7, 2017 remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for hearing loss as it is not clear whether his hearing loss began during service or if it was caused by noise exposure. The case will be returned for further development and a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure causing permanent auditory damage. The examiner concluded it was less likely than not that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was caused by or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and unclear speech discrimination test results. The case is being returned to VA for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and back disability are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination, as well as the need to obtain service connection for dizziness.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sarcoidosis, sickle cell anemia, bilateral hearing loss, vision disability, flat feet, acquired psychiatric disability, insomnia, heart disability, hepatitis C, and kidney disability is granted with effective dates ranging from November 25, 2013 to the date of grant. The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded his claim for service connection for asthma due to insufficient evidence in the current examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for effective dates earlier than December 8, 2017 for the award of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board has also remanded several issues including service connection for hearing loss of the right ear, lung disability, skin disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, lumbar spine disability, and hearing loss of the left ear.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right knee disability, secondary to his left knee disability, is granted as service-connected.,An effective date prior to August 12, 2016, for the assignment of a 10 percent rating for residuals of left knee sprain is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and is not shown to be causally related to an in-service event.,The Veteran's psoriasis may have worsened since the last examination. A new VA examination is needed to determine its current nature and severity.,Spinal stenosis, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and glaucoma are all potentially related to herbicide exposure during service. Further evaluation is required to establish a connection.,COPD and pulmonary fibrosis may be related to the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. A new VA examination is needed to evaluate these conditions.,Pulmonary fibrosis and COPD are both related to the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. Further evaluation is required to establish a connection.,Glaucoma is not service-connected as it may be due to refractive error, which cannot be subject to herbicide exposure presumption.,Obstructive sleep apnea is inextricably intertwined with the Veteran's claims for COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. These claims must be remanded first.